Behavior influencing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for improving a personal habit of a wearer by way of tactile, visual and olfactory stimulation, includes a member such as a wristband of a size to be worn by the wearer and of a material that is impregnated with an aroma for influencing the behavior of the wearer in a manner to improve the personal habit so that the wearer is reminded to improve the selected habit, tactilely when touching the member, visually when seeing the member and olfactorily when smelling the aroma. To further improve the habit the wristband may also carry an indicia such a word to further cognitively remind the wearer of the habit to be improved.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for influencing personalbehavior.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Personal behavioral traits manifest in a variety of ways. For example,laziness in terms of exercise and loss of libido are strongly influencedby the lifestyle of a person.

Similarly, undesirable behavior, such as bad eating habits, over-eatingand smoking cigarettes, may stem from a multitude of factors, includingstress and lifestyle pressures. These undesirable behavior and lifestylepatterns can have serious consequences on personal health bypredisposing to many chronic diseases.

For example, over-eating in response to inappropriate food cues,typically leads to obesity and many other health problems associatedwith obesity, such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levelsand heart disease. Similarly, smoking typically leads to respiratoryproblems and increases the risk of lung cancer.

One form of controlling appetite involves an invasive procedure called“lap banding,” where a band is placed around the stomach. This form ofappetite suppression is relatively extreme, although it can bereversible.

Other forms of attempts at weight loss rely on the will power of theindividual to refrain from eating. However, unless the individual has aparticularly strong will power, that person usually succumbs to thetemptation of indulging in the eating of undesirable, and unhealthy fooditems. At such times, the person is not thinking about the need tocontrol their food intake in terms of volume and nutrition.

It is not unusual for smokers trying to quit smoking to frequentlysuccumb to their cravings for a cigarette. Nicotine patches are used tocontrol the physical effects of quitting smoking. Counseling assistssmokers to improve their will power to resist smoking. However, a patchdoes not assist to remind a person of the techniques learnt throughcounseling for controlling cravings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is concerned with influencing personal behavior toimprove personal habits.

The present invention provides an apparatus for encircling at least partof a wrist of a wearer, the apparatus comprising a substance forproducing an aroma that influences personal behavior and thereby assistsa wearer of the apparatus to improve a personal habit.

The apparatus assists with improving the personal habit of a wearer byway of three or four effects or stimulations. First, the physicalfeeling of the apparatus on the wrist serves as a reminder to the wearerto control the habit. Second, the apparatus can be seen by a wearer whenperforming their usual natural arm movements. Accordingly, the apparatusprovides a visual reminder to the user to control the habit. Third, thearoma produced by the apparatus has a physical effect on the wearer ofinfluencing the wearer to behave in a particular way concerning apersonal habit. Fourth, the apparatus may carry recognizable indiciasuch as an inspirational or reminding word to remind the wearer of theimprovement being sought. The combination of these effects assists auser to control the personal habit.

The apparatus preferably comprises a wristband. However, the apparatusmay comprise a bangle, an amulet, a bracelet, a strap or any other wristborn member.

Preferably the wristband includes the indicia for reminding the wearerto control the personal habit.

The indicia, preferably is a motivational reminder.

The aroma may be selected to suppress the desire to satisfy anundesirable personal habit and thereby assists a wearer of the apparatusto control the personal habit.

The personal habit may be over-eating in response to an appetite or aneating cue and the substance may be selected for producing an aroma thatacts as an appetite suppressant.

The substance preferably is selected for producing an aroma ofpeppermint, banana or green apple.

The substance may be selected for producing an aroma of buttered corn orstrawberries for influencing the wearer to exercise or may be selectedfor producing an aroma of lavender or pumpkin pie for influencing sexualarousal and, thereby the sexual behavior, of a wearer.

The wristband preferably has a color for attracting the attention of thewearer.

The wristband preferably is formed of silicone impregnated with thearoma producing substance.

Accordingly an object of the present invention is to provide anapparatus for improving a selected personal habit of a wearer by way oftactile, visual and olfactory effects or stimulations which comprises amember of a size to be worn by the wearer and of a material adapted tobe impregnated with an aroma, means for engaging the member to thewearer at a location where the member is readily touchable by andvisible to the wearer, and an aroma selected for influencing thebehavior of the wearer in a manner to improve the selected personalhabit, impregnated into the member so that the wearer is reminded toimprove the selected habit, tactilely when touching the member, visuallywhen seeing the member and olfactory when smelling the aroma, and evencognitively by reading or recognizing the indicia.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method forimproving a selected personal habit of a wearer by way of tactile,visual and olfactory effects or stimulations, which comprises providinga member of a size to be worn by the wearer and of a material which isimpregnated with an aroma selected for influencing the behavior of thewearer in a manner to improve the selected personal habit, engaging themember to the wearer at a location where the member is readily touchableby, and visible to the wearer, so that the wearer is reminded to improvethe selected habit, tactilely when touching the member, visually whenseeing the member and olfactorily when smelling the aroma, andcognitively as well.

The various features of novelty that characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses,reference is made to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter inwhich preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying drawing of an isometric view ofa wristband in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the present inventionis shown in the drawing in the form of a wristband 10, although the samefigure may schematically represent a bangle, a bracelet or a strap, oreven an amulet.

The wristband 10 comprises an annulus formed of silicone and defining avacant internal region of sufficient size to enable the hand of a wearerto pass through the vacant internal region so that the wrist band 10 canbe worn on the arm of a wearer at or adjacent the wrist. Naturally, thewristband 10 may be formed in a range of sizes that define differentvacant internal regions for filling larger or smaller hands and wristsof respective wearers.

The wristband 10 is preferably formed of silicone, but may otherwise beformed of any other suitable plastics material, including rubberizedplastics material for a comfortable feel when worn.

The wristband 10 may be formed in any color, but preferably is formed ina bright color to readily catch the eye of the wearer, such as red,yellow or orange.

Importantly, the wristband 10 includes indicia in the form of a word 20.However, the indicia may take the form of a statement or drawing. Theword 20 is printed on or embossed into an outwardly facing surface 22 ofthe wristband. The object is to provide indicia to remind the wearercognitively by reading or recognizing the indicia

Preferably, the word 20 is selected to motivate the wearer of thewristband 10 to control a person habit by reminding the wearer of athought. An example of motivational indicia is the word “Will Power”printed or embossed on the wrist member.

Importantly, the silicone from which the wristband 10 is formed isimpregnated with an aroma producing substance. Preferably, the aromaproducing substance is selected to produce an aroma that has aphysiological effect on the wearer of influencing the behavior of thewearer and thereby assisting a wearer to control a personal habit. Forexample, the aroma diminishes or suppresses the desire to fulfill anundesirable person habit, such as smoking a cigarette or eating inresponse to an appetite. Alternatively, the substance is selected toproduce an aroma of buttered corn or strawberries that make the wearerfeel energized and willing to exercise or to produce an aroma oflavender or pumpkin pie that makes the wearer feel sexually aroused andthereby improves libido.

With regard to a personal habit of over-eating, the wristband 10 isimpregnated with a substance for producing an aroma for suppressingappetite. For example, the substance may produce the aroma of greenapple or peppermint.

The aroma produced by the wristband 10 has the effect of influencing thebehavior of the wearer by making the wearer feel a particular way. Whenthis effect is coupled to the effect produced by a user being alerted tothe wrist band 10 by feeling the wrist band 10 on the wrist or by seeingthe wrist band 10 and motivational word 20 on the wrist, the combinedeffect is a boost in the will power of a user to the extent that thepersonal habit can be controlled.

The visual and physical reminders provided by the wrist band 10 alone orthe aroma alone does not have the same effect in influencing thebehavior of the wearer as the effect produced by the combination of thevisual and physical effect the aroma of allowing a wearer to control thepersonal habit.

Many modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention as described above without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

The present invention thus is a method and an apparatus for improving aselected personal habit of a wearer, such as smoking, over-eating, orsexual indifference, by way of tactile, visual and olfactory effects orstimulations, which comprises a member of a size to be worn by thewearer, such as a wrist band, a bangle, an amulet, a bracelet or astrap, and of a material adapted to be impregnated with an aroma meansfor engaging the member to the wearer at a location where the member themember is readily touchable by, and visible to the wearer, such meansbeing, for example, the appropriate shape and size of band, bangle,bracelet or strap for engaging the wearers wrist, or a pin or clip forattaching the amulet to the wearer's clothing or a chain or cord forhanging the amulet around the wearer's neck, and an aroma selected forinfluencing the behavior of the wearer in a manner to improve theselected personal habit, impregnated into the member so that the weareris reminded to improve the selected habit, tactilely when touching themember, visually when seeing the member and olfactorily when smellingthe aroma.

It will be understood that the term “comprises” or its grammaticalvariants as used in this specification and claims is equivalent to theterm “includes” and is not to be taken as excluding the presence ofother features or elements.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

1. An apparatus for improving a selected personal habit of a wearer byway of tactile, visual and olfactory stimulation, comprising: a memberof a size to be worn by the wearer and of a material adapted to beimpregnated with an aroma; means for engaging the member to a wrist ofthe wearer so that the member is readily touchable by, and visible tothe wearer; and an aroma selected for influencing the behavior of thewearer in a manner to improve the selected personal habit, impregnatedinto the member so that the wearer is reminded to improve the selectedhabit, tactilely when touching the member, visually when seeing themember and olfactorily when smelling the aroma.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the member is a wristband, the means being a size andshape of the wristband for engaging the wrist of the wearer.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the member is a bangle, the means being asize and shape of the bangle for engaging the wrist of the wearer. 4.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the member is a bracelet, the meansbeing a size and shape of the bracelet for engaging the wrist of thewearer.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the member is a strap, themeans being a size and shape of the strap for engaging the wrist of thewearer.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the member is an amulet,the means being for engaging the amulet to the wrist of the wearer. 7.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the member carries indicia forcognitively reminding the wearer to control the personal habit.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the member is a wristband and thewristband carries indicia for cognitively reminding the wearer tocontrol the personal habit, the indicia being a word.
 9. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the member is a wristband and the wristband carriesindicia for cognitively reminding the wearer to control the personalhabit, the indicia being a word and a bright color.
 10. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the aroma is an appetite suppressant peppermint, bananaor green apple.
 11. An apparatus for improving a selected personal habitof a wearer by way of tactile, visual, olfactory and cognitivestimulation, comprising: a member of a size and shape to be worn by thewearer and of a silicone material adapted to be impregnated with anaroma, so that the member is readily touchable by, and visible to thewearer; an aroma selected for influencing the behavior of the wearer ina manner to improve the selected personal habit, impregnated into themember so that the wearer is reminded to improve the selected habit,tactilely when touching the member, visually when seeing the member andolfactorily when smelling the aroma; the member being a wristband of asize and shape to engage the wearer's wrist, the aroma being selectedfrom the group consisting of at least one of: peppermint, banana, greenapple, buttered corn, strawberries, lavender, and pumpkin pie; and thewristband carrying indicia in the from of a word selected forcognitively reminding the wearer to improve the selected habit.
 12. Amethod for improving a selected personal habit of a wearer by way oftactile, visual and olfactory stimulations, comprising: providing amember of a size to be worn by the wearer and of a material which isimpregnated with an aroma selected for influencing the behavior of thewearer in a manner to improve the selected personal habit; and engagingthe member to the wearer at a location where the member is readilytouchable by, and visible to the wearer, so that the wearer is remindedto improve the selected habit, tactilely when touching the member,visually when seeing the member and olfactorily when smelling the aroma.13. The method of claims 12 wherein the member is a silicone wristbandof a size and shape to engage the wearer's wrist, the aroma beingselected from the group consisting of at least one of: peppermint,banana, green apple, buttered corn, strawberries, lavender, and pumpkinpie; and the wrist band carries an indicia in the from of a word. 14.The method of claim 12, wherein the member is a wristband, the meansbeing a size and shape of the wristband for engaging the wrist of thewearer.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the member is a bangle, themeans being a size and shape of the bangle for engaging the wrist of thewearer,
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the member is a bracelet,the means being a size and shape of the bracelet for engaging the wristof the wearer.
 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the member is astrap, the means being a size and shape of the strap for engaging thewrist of the wearer.
 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the membercarries indicia selected for cognitively reminding the wearer to controlthe personal habit.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein the member is awristband and the wristband carries indicia for reminding the wearer tocontrol the personal habit, the indicia being a word.